The UK is set to be battered by winds of up to 80mph on Friday night as the Met Office issued extreme weather warnings, with Liverpool and the north west of England likely to be impacted by Storm Darragh on Saturday

Storm Darragh is poised to cause chaos across the country, potentially disrupting a busy weekend of football including the Merseyside derby between Everton and Liverpool. The extreme weather conditions are already affecting train services, which could impact travel nationwide.

The western side of the country, stretching from Plymouth in the south to areas north of Liverpool and Manchester, is expected to bear the brunt of the storm. Weather conditions are set to deteriorate on Friday afternoon as the Met Office issues yellow severe weather warnings for parts of England, with some areas even receiving the rare red warnings.

Wind gusts could reach up to 80mph (129km/h). Amber warnings have been issued for Northern Ireland, south-west Scotland, and western parts of England and Wales for Saturday, with power cuts, structural damage, and transport disruption likely due to the storm.

READ MORE: Alexander Isak has just given Liverpool a Darwin Nunez headache they can no longer ignoreREAD MORE: Goodison Park set for special display as Everton host Liverpool in final Merseyside league derby

Burnley’s match against Middlesbrough on Friday evening may provide an early indication of how the weather might affect the weekend’s fixtures. The Championship team, located on the eastern edge of the warning area, might escape the worst of the conditions.

Saturday is expected to be the most affected day. On Friday afternoon, the Welsh FA announced that all matches in Wales have been postponed, although Cardiff City’s Championship clash with Watford and Newport County’s League Two home game against Carlisle United are currently still scheduled to proceed.

The Merseyside derby is set to take place at lunchtime, marking the final game at Goodison Park. However, swirling winds may be a factor. Fortunately, local fans won’t face significant travel issues due to the close proximity of the clubs.

Meanwhile, Manchester United will host Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford on Saturday evening. They, along with Burnley, are located slightly east of the warning areas and may avoid the extreme conditions.

The Met Office has issued an amber severe weather warning for strong winds in Northern Ireland, south-west Scotland, and western areas of England and Wales from 3pm until 9pm on Saturday. This could affect Cardiff City and Plymouth Argyle. Wayne Rooney’s team may also feel the impact as storm clouds gather following several damaging defeats. Rooney’s side host Oxford United, while Watford travel to Cardiff.

Blackpool, who are within the yellow warning areas, could see Storm Darragh significantly influence their match against Rotherham. Bristol is another city on the edge of the warning, but Bristol Rovers will remain cautious as they host Bolton. Morecambe and Barrow are both set to play their League Two fixtures in blustery conditions.

Supporters across the UK are keeping their fingers crossed that train services won’t be disrupted by the weather, a frequent issue. Friday morning witnessed disruptions nationwide during rush hour, due to what National Rail referred to as a “nationwide fault” in a communications system.

The incident impacted operations for South Western Railway, Gatwick Express, Great Northern, Southern, Southeastern, and Thameslink. In the north, the combination of harsh weather and natural occurrences posed additional challenges.

Strong winds on Thursday night led to overhead wire damage and a tree falling onto tracks in West Yorkshire, causing potential delays of up to an hour or diversions between Leeds and Wakefield. The BBC indicated that engineers pinpoint the fault in the communication chain to be at the national telecoms centre in Doncaster.